Conventionally, a printer has been present that executes a recording operation for both sides of a recording medium. Such types of printers include a printer that cuts a long strip-like recording medium at a predetermined length for use therein. To realize recording to both sides of the recording medium by a single recording unit, the front side and the back side of the recording medium need to be inverted from each other relative to a position for recording by the recording unit such as a printing head after a recording operation is executed for the front side and before another recording operation is executed for the back side. When the long strip-like recording medium is used, to invert the front side and the back side thereof from each other, the long strip-like recording medium needs to be cut prior to the inversion.
On the other hand, to ensure the precision of the position for the recording, the recording medium needs to be firmly gripped to avoid any displacement of the position of the recording medium during the recording operation. So that gripping marks do not remain on the recording medium after the recording operation, a margin portion outside the print range needs to be gripped during the recording operation and the margin portion needs to be cut off after the recording operation is executed. A printer has therefore traditionally been present that includes two cutters that are a cutter that cuts for the inversion and another cutter that cuts off the margin portion after the double-side recording is completed.
For example, a printer has been traditionally present that includes, at a branching position of three conveyance paths branching into three directions toward a holding unit that holds a long trip-like recording medium wound thereon in a roll, a recording unit that executes a recording operation, and an inversion path that is used to invert the recording medium, a flow diverter that is selectively positioned at a first position to connect the holding unit and the recording unit to each other and the inversion path and the recording unit to each other, and at a second position to connect the holding unit and the inversion path to each other (for example, refer to Patent Document 1 below).
In the printer described in Patent Document 1, after executing printing for the front side of the recording medium conveyed from the holding unit to the recording unit by positioning the flow diverter at the first position, the recording medium is pulled back to the holding unit, the flow diverter is positioned at the second position, and the recording medium to which the printing is executed on the front side thereof is conveyed to the inversion path. When the recording medium is conveyed to the inversion path, the long strip-like recording medium is cut at a predetermined length by the first cutter disposed near the holding unit. Printing is executed for the back side of the recording medium conveyed from the inversion path to the recording unit by positioning the flow diverter at the first position, and the margin of the recording medium to which the printing is executed on both sides thereof is thereafter cut off by the second cutter.
For example, a printer has been traditionally present that is adapted to convey a long strip-like recording medium to a recording unit to execute printing for a front side of the long strip-like recording medium, thereafter cut the long strip-like recording medium at a predetermined length by a first cutter, bend the cut-off recording medium to transpose the front end and the back end thereof with each other to thereby invert the front side and the back side of the recording medium to each other relative to the position for the recording by the recording unit, execute printing for the back side of the inverted recording medium, and thereafter cut off the recording medium for which the printing is executed for both sides thereof, by a second cutter to discharge the recording medium (see, e.g., Patent Document 2 below).
For example, conventionally, a printer has been present that is adapted to convey a long strip-like recording medium from the side of a discharge outlet to a gap between a thermal head and a platen roller that are disposed to face each other sandwiching therebetween a conveyance path spanning from a holding unit that holds the recording medium wound thereon in a roll to the discharge outlet to execute front side printing, draw back the recording medium for which the front side printing is executed into the holding unit, thereafter convey the recording medium from the side of the holding unit to execute back side printing, and cut the recording medium for which printing is executed for both sides thereof by a cutter to discharge the recording medium (see, e.g., Patent Document 3 below).
Patent Document 1: Published Japanese-Translation of PCT Application, Publication No. 2015-528757
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-110789
Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-136796